Newcastle IT specialist tries national growth on for size with six-figure schuh deal

An IT firm with offices in Newcastle has secured a six-figure deal with national footwear retailer schuh.

IT specialist Opal, which has offices in Newcastle and Edinburgh, has secured a contract to manage the retailer’s Apple iOS point-of-sale (POS) devices across its 132 stores.

Caroline Robertson, head of store systems at schuh, said: “We’re trying to move away from physical cash desks so we can create space for additional products in our stores and deliver a more personal service for the customer.

These devices are therefore really important to us so it’s vital we’re able to monitor and manage them effectively. We also wanted a way of linking our devices to Apple so they could regularly receive software updates to make them more secure and efficient.

“Opal has first-hand experience of helping businesses get the most out of Apple technology and managing multiple mobile devices effectively, so they were the ideal choice for us.”

Specialising in mobile device management, IT support and the deployment and integration of Apple and Windows products, Opal mainly works across the financial services, creative media and education sectors.

As a Jamf Gold Partner and Integrator, Opal used JAMF Pro, the leading Apple enterprise endpoint management tool, to integrate schuh’s Apple iOS devices across the business.

Andy Metcalfe, managing director of Opal, explained: “Companies that operate across multiple sites in different locations need a solution that will enable them to manage all of their mobile devices – and in schuh’s case, this amounts to rather a lot!

“Our JAMF Gold accreditation – the highest possible level a company can achieve – and our status as an approved JAMF Integrator means that Caroline and her team can focus on driving forward the business while we take care of the underlying technology.”